DORCHESTER BID has cost the town’s businesses £1.5 million over 12 years – leaving very little to show for it.

The claim comes from independent town councillor Alistair Chisholm.

It has been countered by a list of dozens of things the BID has done for the town.

At last week’s town council meeting Cllr Chisholm said it was about time the Business Improvement District justified its existence.

"I do have some reservations about the BID…the BID is, whether we like it or not, a part of the town and should be treated as a contributor to events like the virtual heritage day that put the town on the map.

"We have had huge success with events held recently which has upped the profile of the town and I just feel that it is about time we looked into the BID.

"It has existed for 12 years; it has spent £1.5million, and I am certainly aware of some levy payers who are not terribly happy about it.

“I would like to see that as a contributor to the BID ourselves as a town council, we suggest that it’s time for the BID to be assessed,” he said.

Cllr Chisholm said that although the Dorchester BID was the first in Dorset it had never been accredited. He said the Weymouth BID had been, and was better for the process.

“Many problems start with governance and it has not been addressed by Dorchester BID in 12 years,” he said.

BID project director Phil Gordon produced a list of the BID’s activities over the years, including recent support for its members throughout the pandemic lockdown and the town’s emergence from it.

These include the Dorchester Ambassadors scheme; organising Christmas trees and lights on which it has spent £100,000 in the past 12 years; winning free overnight and Sunday parking; subsidising local media advertising for its members; publishing maps and guides to the town for visitors and residents; car parking voucher; its website and social media promoting the town; sponsoring special events including the Dorchester marathon and literary festival; supplying hanging baskets, flags and other items to brighten up the streets; summer live music events; shop watch radio and producing a series of 29 videos which have achieved 75,000 hits online.